Simon Cowell

He can make or break careers and once boasted that he sells more records than Bruce Springsteen. That confidence helped make Simon Cowell a success as a former judge on "American Idol." Cowell's blunt opinions of a performance stood in contrast to Paula Abdul's mostly positive spin and Randy Jackson's typical middle ground. The bickering with Abdul and host Ryan Seacrest was also a highlight of the Fox series. Cowell has been a judge on British shows "Pop Idol" and "The X Factor," and he produces other contest shows such as "American Inventor" and "America's Got Talent." He will help launch the U.S. version of "The X Factor" in September.

"America's Got Talent" voters sent the Virginia State University Gospel Chorale home. The singing group is not among the 12 acts advancing to the competition's semifinal round next week, Wednesday's show revealed.
Tuesday night, judge Howard...

Smithfield's Bria Kelly is hanging tough in NBC's competition show "America's Got Talent." She's included in a field of two dozen or so contestants vying for the show's top spot and a $1 million prize. According to a press release, Kelly will be...

In coming weeks, a pair of festivals will bring premium, live R&B to Hampton Roads. Lalah Hathaway will headline the Ella Fitzgerald Music Festival in Newport News.Fantasia and Joe will give Portsmouth's Umoja Festival a jolt of soul.Hathaway,...

On Friday, Oct. 7, Virginia Beach's 4Shore will make its first local public appearance since stepping into the national spotlight on the Fox television show "The X Factor" last week.The R&B vocal quartet will perform at halftime of the...

One of the stars of Wednesday's episode of "The X Factor" on Fox television was a group called 4Shore from Virginia Beach, Va. The a cappella quartet sang the Boyz II Men hit "End of the Road" and blew the judges away.
Judge L.A....

The other shoe has dropped on Zayn Malik’s new direction, with an announcement Thursday that the singer and songwriter who exited boy band One Direction in March has signed a solo recording contract with RCA Records.
The announcement offered no details...

It's hard to believe but "America's Got Talent" celebrates its 10th anniversary Wednesday with a two-hour special. Who would've thought that a break-dancing cow, a turtle puppet that sings like Roy Orbison, or a guy who makes music with his...

Boy bands will be boys. First, Zayn Malik up and quits One Direction shortly before this summer's massive U.S. tour. Now, Louis Tomlinson, the oldest member of One Direction, gets his lady friend pregnant. Which direction is 1D headed? "The...

"Jane the Virgin's" Gina Rodriguez may star in a TV show based on a Venezuelan telenovela — and her character may devour Spanish soaps with her abuela — but when she was growing up in Chicago, the programs she plopped herself in front of the...

One Direction fans reacted with dismay Wednesday to a report that band member Louis Tomlinson is to become a father. Publicist Simon Jones declined to comment on a People magazine report saying 23-year-old Tomlinson is expecting a child with American...

Fox is lowering the curtain on "American Idol," ending a series that dominated television throughout the 2000s and made stars of the likes of Simon Cowell, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.
The network announced Monday that "American...

Zayn Malik says he worries that he's let One Direction fans down by leaving the world-conquering boy band, but couldn't carry on in a role that made him unhappy.
Malik quit the group this week, saying he wanted "to be a normal 22-year-old."...

It's an indication of how quickly life moves for the lads of One Direction that their idea of ancient history appears to be 2012.
That's when Harry Styles — the youngest (and arguably dreamiest) member of this British boy band — was 18, an age he and his...

Randy Jackson is leaving "American Idol" -- and this time, it's serious.
The 58-year-old singing judge and musical mentor will not return for the show's 14th season in January, Fox confirmed Tuesday.
Jackson, who had been with "Idol"...

Earlier this spring, Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton were trading stories about the two-week writing camp that yielded their debut album, "It's About Us." The late-hour bursts of boozy creativity and morning hikes under the Malibu sun are...

Broad of shoulder and booming of voice, Bob Romeo is a memorable guy with a seemingly memorable job title: chief executive of the Academy of Country Music.
Based in Encino, it's one of that genre's two principal trade groups along with Nashville's...

Simon Cowell was sharing the love over the weekend on Twitter, posting pics of Eric, his new son with girlfriend Lauren Silverman.
"I never knew how much love and pride I would feel," read "The X Factor" judge's caption on the photo...

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski are new parents of a baby daughter!
"Wanted to let the news out directly," Krasinski, 34, said early Sunday on Twitter. "Emily and I are so incredibly happy to welcome our daughter Hazel into the world today!...

Last week's episode of "The Walking Dead" focused exclusively on Rick, Carl and Michonne, so it makes total sense that this week's episode, "Inmates," brings us up to speed with the rest of the surviving members of the cast.
This...